As the critical dimensions of semiconductor device features continue to shrink, more stringent constraints on thermal budgets are required. For example, a rapid thermal process (RTP) may be required to deliver a short duration high temperature pulse uniformly to a substrate being processed. One example of one apparatus suitable for performing such RTP processes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,466, issued to Joseph M. Ranish and assigned to Applied Materials, Inc. In the apparatus of the aforementioned patent, coolant passages are disposed proximate a lamphead heat source to facilitate the rapid cooling thereof by flowing a coolant therethrough. While the above-described apparatus is an improvement over the prior art, further improvement may be made to facilitate even more efficient heat removal, thereby facilitating longer life of the apparatus.